R
Ramaraksha
Guest
As a child I used to read Tarzan books, but even though i am now in my 50's I still remember some racist incidents in these books. Now living in India, I find it disturbing that some newspapers are featuring his comics. I know that the author - Edgar Rice Burroughs - is dead now. But why contribute to his estate? If you feel similarly as I do, and if you see your local newspaper featuring these comics, please ask them to stop.
2 incidents:
1. This was from the early Tarzan books - maybe the very first one. Tarzan had hunted all day but found nothing. Now very hungry, he comes upon a native village. The villagers have made a big killing and are eating and drinking. Tarzan waits, hoping that they will all fall asleep so that he can get down and steal some food. One by one, the villagers fall asleep. All but one. One old man does not stop. He keeps eating and drinking. Unable to wait any longer, Tarzan silently drops behind the old man, grabs the old man’s throat and squeezes him to death! He then dumps the body in the pot holding the food, helps himself and goes away smiling to himself!
I couldn’t but think to myself – this old man was a husband, a father, a brother, maybe even a grandfather. How would the little child feel when she wakes up to see the gruesome scene? But then his crime was that he was a darkie, wasn’t he? Would Burroughs write about Tarzan dropping into a white man’s backyard and killing an old white man? Not a chance. Sadly to this man sitting in England and making up stories about people and a continent of which he knew nothing, a black man’s life was worthless.
2. The second was some story about some lost city of Treasure. At the end of the story, Tarzan comes upon the evil white men who are on their way to ransack the city of treasure, led there by native guides. From up above Tarzan asks the native guides to go away. Although frightened they press on. Suddenly one of the natives drops, an arrow shot thru his leg. Of course, Burroughs really doesn’t tell us much about what happens to him after that, who cares right? It’s just a darkie! But we can imagine – without proper medical help, the man could die or lose his leg, to be lame forever.
Well, the natives press on. And this time a second native is struck – but he pays a higher price – an arrow shot thru his chest! Again I can’t but think how cheap these peoples’ lives are. Frightened now, the natives leave the white men alone. Guess what happens to the white men? Tarzan takes them to the authorities – to be properly tried and sentenced in a court of law! Wow! What justice! The evil white men get to argue their case in front of a judge, while the poor natives get Burrough’s instant justice!
2 incidents:
1. This was from the early Tarzan books - maybe the very first one. Tarzan had hunted all day but found nothing. Now very hungry, he comes upon a native village. The villagers have made a big killing and are eating and drinking. Tarzan waits, hoping that they will all fall asleep so that he can get down and steal some food. One by one, the villagers fall asleep. All but one. One old man does not stop. He keeps eating and drinking. Unable to wait any longer, Tarzan silently drops behind the old man, grabs the old man’s throat and squeezes him to death! He then dumps the body in the pot holding the food, helps himself and goes away smiling to himself!
I couldn’t but think to myself – this old man was a husband, a father, a brother, maybe even a grandfather. How would the little child feel when she wakes up to see the gruesome scene? But then his crime was that he was a darkie, wasn’t he? Would Burroughs write about Tarzan dropping into a white man’s backyard and killing an old white man? Not a chance. Sadly to this man sitting in England and making up stories about people and a continent of which he knew nothing, a black man’s life was worthless.
2. The second was some story about some lost city of Treasure. At the end of the story, Tarzan comes upon the evil white men who are on their way to ransack the city of treasure, led there by native guides. From up above Tarzan asks the native guides to go away. Although frightened they press on. Suddenly one of the natives drops, an arrow shot thru his leg. Of course, Burroughs really doesn’t tell us much about what happens to him after that, who cares right? It’s just a darkie! But we can imagine – without proper medical help, the man could die or lose his leg, to be lame forever.
Well, the natives press on. And this time a second native is struck – but he pays a higher price – an arrow shot thru his chest! Again I can’t but think how cheap these peoples’ lives are. Frightened now, the natives leave the white men alone. Guess what happens to the white men? Tarzan takes them to the authorities – to be properly tried and sentenced in a court of law! Wow! What justice! The evil white men get to argue their case in front of a judge, while the poor natives get Burrough’s instant justice!
